Phillip Adams' former agent tells Inside Edition that it's a "possibility" the former cornerback developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a type of brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head trauma. The coroner's office will test Adams' brain.
The investigation continues into what led a former NFL player to shoot five people dead, including a respected ER doctor and members of his family. One theory is that the suspect was a patient of the doctor and snapped when he stopped writing him prescriptions.
A South Carolina congressman says Dr. Robert Lesslie was treating his killer, former NFL star Phillip Adams.
“My understanding is he was treating him and had, to my understanding, stopped giving him medicine. And that's what triggered the killings, from what I understand,” Rep. Ralph Norman told Inside Edition.
Lesslie, his wife Barbara and two of their grandchildren, ages 5 and 9, as well as an air conditioner repairman, were shot and killed Wednesday in Rock Hill, South Carolina. A coworker was critically injured.
Adams took his own life at his home about a half-mile from Lesslie’s house. The former cornerback left the NFL in 2015 after suffering concussions and an ankle injury. He lived with his parents and had started a juice business, according to his former agent, Scott Casterline.
“I think it’s a combination of a number of things. Obviously, with this action, that wasn’t Phillip Adams. The Phillip Adams we knew — he’d be the last person you’d think would do that. So, there’s been some questions about, did he have CTE? He did have a couple of concussions in Oakland back-to-back, and that’s certainly a possibility,” Casterline said.
The coroner's office said they are going to test Adams’ brain for the effects of the concussions during the autopsy. I will take months for the results to come in.
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